Mike Hinterschied: Mourning the Holy Father

It has certainly been a very monumental few days in the life of the Church. We are now in mourning as our Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, has passed from this life and has entered into the Eternal Rest of Christ.

I first heard the news of John Paul's death Saturday afternoon. Here in the college, we were in the middle of one of our "Live-In" weekends with many young men coming to see what life is like in the seminary. Immediately upon hearing confirmations from the Vatican that the Pope had died we tolled the bells in the building, calling everyone to our college chapel.

In the chapel, on the vigil of Divine Mercy Sunday, we prayed together the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, the prayer which became known through Saint Faustina. She was given a message from the Lord of mercy that she was to spread throughout the world. We prayed for Divine Mercy on the soul of our beloved Holy Father as he makes his journey to meet Christ.

Throughout the day I realized that hardly anyone in the college remembers any other pope besides John Paul. He has been a spiritual father forever it seems to all of us 30 and under. What lies for the future of the Church, is certainly mysterious and unknown to anyone but God alone, and that can be a scary thought for us. I know I have worried at times these past few days about what will happen now in the Church.

I have been reflecting in prayer the need to continually put my trust in the Lord. Just as in the words of Saint Faustina: "Jesus, I trust in You." We all need to trust in God and especially in the Holy Spirit, praying that the Holy Spirit will burn in the minds, hearts, and lips of the cardinals as they gather this week to elect a new pontiff.